Author: Johann Leon c. 1530-1597Melody: The melody was originally a secular folksong documented 1500 with the original title: “Es ist auf Erd kein schwerer Leidn”; then as a contrafact religious song/chorale „Ich weiß mir ein Röslein hübsch und fein“ (which is an allegorical reference to the Gospel - not a pretty young girl as one might otherwise expect) as such it was contained in a hymnal by Johann Rau, Frankfurt am Main, 1589. Precisely when the melody became associated with Leon’s text is not known, but probably this occurred at the very end of the 16th century.Cantatas: BWV 106/2Chorale: BWV 351
Organ chorales : BWV 707 and 708 (Kirnberger); BWV 1113 (Neumeister)

All around here is a valley of tears,
there is fear, want and misery everywhere;
our stay here is only for a short time
full of trouble and suffering,
and whoever begins to think about it, is continually in conflict.

O faithful God, this has come about through sin
And bitter death resulted from that,
Death takes and devours all types of human beings
Wherever he finds them,
And he does not ask what status and honours they have.